LOVE BEYOND THE THRONE

"I'm not a criminal!

Shuan finally arrived at the city gates of Gwanju after walking for a very long time. Her heart sank as she looked up at the big walls and the guards who eyed her with suspicion. "I'm here," Shuan muttered, walking through the gates and into the city's narrow streets.

Shuan's senses were on high alert as she navigated the crowded streets. She felt many eyes looking at her, and the air was thick with smells of food, incense, and something unpleasant.

As she turned a corner, Shuan saw a big building. Her heart skipped a beat as she realized this must be her destination, where the decorations were sold. But as she approached the gates, Shuan sensed something was off. The guards seemed frightening and on edge.

Suddenly, someone grabbed Shuan's arm and pulled her into a narrow alleyway. "What's going on?" Shuan demanded, trying to shake off the person's grip. It was a man with fierce eyes in the dim light.

"You are new here, and alone," the man whispered mischievously. "Please, let me go," Shuan pleaded. But the man just laughed. "I wonder how much I'll make if I sell you."

Shuan's heart racing, she realized she was in grave danger. But she steeled herself, determined to see her mission through. Shuan remembered the self-defense techniques her brother Sid taught her and broke free from the man's grasp.

Shuan sprinted out of the alleyway, her heart pounding. She spotted the big building, its gates still guarded by nervous-looking guards. With newfound determination, Shuan pushed through the crowds, eyes fixed on the building.

As she approached the gates, Shuan noticed the guards staring at her with curiosity and suspicion. She wondered if they had seen her altercation with the man.

Shuan took a deep breath and approached the guards. "I'm here to get decorations for my mistress," she said, trying to sound confident. The guards exchanged a skeptical glance.

"What decorations?" one of them growled. Shuan's heart sank. Had she come all this way for nothing?

"I'm here to get the decorations my mistress asked me to get," Shuan replied, trying to keep her cool. "My mistress, Jun, sent me to retrieve them."

The guards looked uncertain, clearly not believing Shuan's claim. One of them stepped forward, hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Little slave, there are no decorations sold here," he said. "This building is where people who have committed serious crimes are kept, before they are taken to the palace to receive their final verdict."

Shuan's eyes widened in shock and fear. She felt like she had been punched in the gut. This couldn't be happening.

"No, that's not possible," Shuan protested, trying to keep her voice steady. "My mistress would never do that to me."

The guards didn't believe Shuan's protests. One of them stepped forward, sneering. "Save it for the judge, little slave," he said. "You're coming with us."

As the guards dragged her away, Shuan kept shouting, "Sir, please listen to me, I'm innocent, please!" But they weren't listening.

Tears flowed down Shuan's eyes as she thought of her brother's face and how he begged their mistress to let him go with her. She wondered if this was how her life would end.